<p>Population migration is one of the main ways to understand city relations and city networks. This study uses the 1% national population sample survey in 2015 and complex network analysis to reveal the structural characteristics of China’s inter-city population migration network. The results are presented as follows. Firstly, in a directionally weighted city network based on population migration, the functions and status of city nodes differ from previous studies. Among them, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Dongguan are clustering quintessential cities. Chongqing is a diffusing quintessential city. Important net in-migration and net out-migration cities tend to play the role of hub cities. Provincial capitals and above cities with prominent administrative functions tend to play the role of gateway cities. Secondly, the inter-city population migration network has the dual characteristics of ‘adjacent connection’ and ‘preferential connection’, and is dominated by ‘adjacent connection’, forming obvious clustered community structure, which reflects that location and distance still matter in city networks based on population migration. In addition, this study also found that the inter-city population migration networks are the spatial mapping of migrants’ social networks.</p>